Circuit board manufacturing method, circuit board intermediate, and circuit board manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

To produce a multilayer substrate with fine wiring in a short time while enhancing a degree of freedom in design.SOLUTION: A substrate producing method includes an intermediate product manufacturing step and a substrate processing step. At the intermediate product manufacturing step, an intermediate product of a substrate on which a part of a circuit to be mounted on the substrate and a surface electrode region to which cutting processing is to be subjected are formed is manufactured by etching. At the substrate processing step, the substrate processing machine 100 applies cutting processing to the surface electrode region of the intermediate product to form a designed circuit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate manufacturing method, an intermediate body of a substrate, and a substrate manufacturing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, electronic devices for various purposes have been manufactured, and along with this, the need for mass-producing substrates with a small number of varieties has been increasing. Here, when manufacturing a substrate on a substrate manufacturing line including an etching process, it is suitable for mass-producing substrates having the same circuit, etc., but when changing the circuit of the substrate to be manufactured, it takes time to set up the manufacturing line, etc., and it is difficult to flexibly change the type of substrate and manufacture it. On the other hand, in a substrate processing machine that performs cutting on a substrate to create a substrate on which a target circuit is mounted, it is possible to create substrates with various circuit configurations according to individual needs. Note that the technology related to substrate processing machines is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when creating circuit boards using a PCB processing machine, it is more difficult to achieve fine wiring compared to circuit boards manufactured on a production line that includes an etching process. Furthermore, when forming circuits on both sides of a circuit board, it is necessary to ensure conductivity between the front and back of the board. However, since through-holes formed by cutting are not conductive, it is necessary to make them conductive. If, for example, a certain amount of solder is supplied to make the through-holes conductive, the thickness of the solder makes it difficult to place electronic components at the location of the through-holes, resulting in constraints on circuit design. In addition, since circuit boards created with a PCB processing machine usually do not have a resist coating, there is a higher possibility of solder bridging when electronic components are placed close together. Thus, with conventional technology, it has been difficult to create multilayer substrates with fine wiring in a short time while maintaining a high degree of design flexibility.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to create multilayer substrates with fine wiring in a short time while increasing the degree of design freedom. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a substrate manufacturing method according to one aspect of the present invention is: An intermediate manufacturing process for producing an intermediate substrate in which a part of the circuit to be mounted on the substrate and a surface electrode area to be machined are formed using etching, A substrate processing step in which the surface electrode region of the intermediate is cut using a substrate processing machine to form the designed circuit, A method for manufacturing a circuit board, including the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, multilayer substrates with fine wiring can be manufactured in a short time while increasing the degree of design freedom. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1]This is a schematic diagram (top view) showing the configuration of substrate 1 produced by the substrate manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the three-dimensional structure of substrate 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing cross-sections of substrate 1 and via 4. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram showing a magnified view of the area around the additional processing pattern section 5. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. [Circuit board configuration] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram (top view) showing the structure of a substrate 1 produced by a substrate manufacturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram (perspective view) showing the three-dimensional structure of the substrate 1. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing cross-sections of the substrate 1 and vias 4. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of the area around the additional processing pattern section 5. Note that in Figure 1, a part of the substrate 1 is shown after machining, and in Figure 2, the substrate processing machine 100 that machines the substrate 1 is also shown.

[0010] In this embodiment, the substrate 1 has a configuration in which multiple substrates are arranged hierarchically. Although Figures 2 and 3 show an example of a substrate 1 having a four-layer configuration in which three substrates B1 to B3 are stacked, the number of stacked substrates can be arbitrarily selected according to the purpose. Furthermore, in this embodiment, layers with circuits formed on one side of substrate B1, which is the surface of the substrate 1, and on one side of substrate B3, which is the back surface of the substrate 1, are arranged on the stacked substrates B1 to B3, and layers with circuits formed on one side each are arranged between substrates B1 and B2, and between substrates B2 and B3. Hereinafter, these layers with circuits will be referred to as circuit layers C1 to C4, in order from the surface of the substrate 1. Circuit patterns that have been pre-designed are formed on circuit layers C1 to C4 by a substrate manufacturing process that includes etching.

[0011] In Figures 1 to 4, the substrate 1 has a copper foil portion 2 for additional processing, an unprocessed copper foil portion 3, vias 4, an additional processing pattern portion 5, a precision pattern portion 6, a separate layer connection portion 7, a cutting portion 8, an expanded processing pattern portion 9, and a via connection portion 10. Substrate 1 is a substrate in which an intermediate substrate has an additional processing copper foil portion 2, an unprocessed copper foil portion 3, vias 4, a precision pattern portion 6, and via connection portions 10 pre-formed by etching, and an additional processing pattern portion 5, a separate layer connection portion 7, a cut portion 8, and an expanded processing pattern portion 9 are formed by cutting.

[0012] The additional processing copper foil portion 2 is a uniform electrode formed in a specific area (which is later cut by the substrate processing machine 100 to form a circuit pattern) during the substrate manufacturing process, including etching, when the substrate intermediate is manufactured. In this embodiment, the additional processing copper foil portion 2 is formed of copper foil, but other materials (such as aluminum) can also be used as long as they function as electrodes (the same applies to other wiring portions below).

[0013] The unprocessed copper foil portion 3 is a conductive portion formed by the substrate manufacturing process, including etching, when the substrate intermediate is manufactured, and is formed as a region that is not subsequently cut. In other words, the unprocessed copper foil portion 3 is a region where the circuit pattern formed by the substrate manufacturing process, including etching, becomes the circuit pattern of the finished product. Via 4 is a through-electrode formed in each of the substrates B1 to B3 of the substrate 1 by a substrate manufacturing process including etching, and the inner surface of the through-hole is covered with copper foil. In this embodiment, via 4 penetrates all of the substrates B1 to B3, and conductivity is ensured by arranging via connection portions 10 in the circuit layers C1 to C4 that are in contact with via 4. In this embodiment, multiple vias 4 are formed in advance in the additional processing copper foil portion 2 of the substrate 1. For example, multiple vias 4 can be formed on the entire surface of the additional processing copper foil portion 2 at predetermined intervals (e.g., 5 mm to 10 mm intervals).

[0014] Now, referring to Figure 3, we will specifically explain the structure of via 4. As shown in FIG. 3, via 4 is electrically connected to circuit layers C1 to C4 by via connection portion 10. Via connection portion 10 is a conductive portion that ensures electrical connection between via 4 and each of circuit layers C1 to C4. In this embodiment, when the intermediate body of the substrate is manufactured, via connection portion 10 is formed with respect to circuit layers C1 to C4 that are to be electrically connected to via 4. Here, in substrate 1, four types of connection forms are realized for the connection between via 4 and circuit layers C1 to C4 depending on the arrangement method of via connection portion 10.

[0015] In the connection form of type d1, via connection portions 10 are arranged in circuit layer C1, circuit layer C2, and circuit layer C4. In this case, via 4 can connect the wirings in circuit layer C1, circuit layer C2, and circuit layer C4. In the connection form of type d2, via connection portions 10 are arranged in circuit layer C1, circuit layer C3, and circuit layer C4. In this case, via 4 can connect the wirings in circuit layer C1, circuit layer C3, and circuit layer C4.

[0016] In the connection form of type d3, via connection portions 10 are arranged in circuit layer C1 and circuit layer C4. In this case, via 4 can connect the wirings in circuit layer C1 and circuit layer C4. In the connection form of type d4, via connection portions 10 are arranged in circuit layer C1, circuit layer C2, circuit layer C3, and circuit layer C4. In this case, via 4 can connect the wirings in circuit layer C1, circuit layer C2, circuit layer C3, and circuit layer C4. In this embodiment, a plurality of vias 4 formed by etching are set as any one of types d1 to d4, and when performing cutting processing, the type of via 4 required can be selected to form the circuit of additional processing copper foil portion 2. The vias 4 that are not used are separated from the circuit by cutting processing so as not to affect the formation of the circuit. However, when a part of the region including via 4 is not used for circuit formation, instead of separating via 4 individually, it may be separated from the circuit as a whole region.

[0017] The additional processing pattern portion 5 is an area that forms an outer edge (cutting portion 8) serving as an insulating portion by cutting the additional processing copper foil portion 2, and is a region that is made into a conductive portion (wiring). As shown in FIG. 4, the additional processing pattern portion 5 is formed by cutting the copper foil along the outer edge of the wiring of the circuit mounted on the completed substrate with respect to the additional processing copper foil portion 2 in the intermediate body of the substrate. By cutting the outer edge of the additional processing pattern portion 5, the inside of the additional processing pattern portion 5 becomes a conductive portion (wiring) separated from other portions of the additional processing copper foil portion 2.

[0018] The fine pattern portion 6 is a conductive portion formed by etching when the intermediate body of the substrate is manufactured, and is an area with a width smaller than the wiring width that can be formed by cutting (for example, 0.1 [mm] or less). The different layer connection portion 7 is a conductive portion that connects a plurality of vias 4 in circuit layers other than the circuit layer C1. For example, in the circuit layer C4, via connection portions 10 are arranged for a plurality of vias 4 to be connected, and in the additional processing copper foil portion 2 of the circuit layer C4, an additional processing pattern portion 5 that connects these via connection portions 10 is formed, thereby forming the different layer connection portion 7. Note that the vias 4 connected by these circuit layers C4 are in a state of being insulated by the additional processing pattern portion 5 in the circuit layer C1.

[0019] The cutting portion 8 is an area where the copper foil is removed by cutting the additional processing copper foil portion 2 in the intermediate body of the substrate and is made into an insulating portion. In the present embodiment, the cutting portion 8 is formed as an insulating portion that constitutes the outer edge of the additional processing pattern portion 5. The extended processing pattern portion 9 is an area that is extended from the outer edge of the additional processing copper foil portion 2 and cut when the additional processing pattern portion 5 is formed at the outer edge (the boundary with the non-processed copper foil portion 3) of the additional processing copper foil portion 2. When designing a circuit for the additional processing copper foil portion 2, there is a possibility that the additional processing pattern portion 5 is not sufficiently formed at the outer edge of the additional processing copper foil portion 2 and insulation cannot be ensured. Therefore, by forming the extended processing pattern portion 9, reliable insulation can be performed even at the outer edge of the additional processing copper foil portion 2.

[0020] The PCB processing machine 100 converts the circuit pattern data to be formed on the additional processing copper foil section 2 in the intermediate part of the PCB into cutting data. The cutting data is data representing the toolpath of the cutting tool, and specifically, it is data for forming the additional processing pattern section 5 (and, if necessary, the extended processing pattern section 9) that represents the outer edge of the wiring. The PCB processing machine 100 then forms the additional processing pattern section 5 (and the necessary extended processing pattern section 9) on the additional processing copper foil section 2 in the intermediate part of the PCB according to the cutting data.

[0021] [Circuit board manufacturing method] Next, we will explain the method for creating circuit board 1. When substrate 1 is manufactured, an intermediate substrate (see Figure 2) is formed in a substrate manufacturing line capable of performing an etching process (intermediate manufacturing process).

[0022] Next, the circuit pattern data to be formed on the additional processing copper foil section 2 in the intermediate part of the substrate is converted into cutting data (data representing the toolpath of the cutting tool) in the substrate processing machine 100 (or other computer, etc.) (data conversion step). The circuit pattern to be formed on the additional processing copper foil section 2 is designed taking into account the type of via 4 in the intermediate part of the substrate.

[0023] Next, the substrate intermediate is placed in the substrate processing machine 100, and an additional processing pattern section 5 (and necessary extended processing pattern section 9) is formed on the additional processing copper foil section 2 according to the cutting processing data converted in the data conversion process (substrate processing process).

[0024] This allows for the formation of fine wiring in the intermediate manufacturing process, including etching, when creating the substrate 1, and also allows for the formation of additional copper foil portions 2 for cutting by the substrate processing machine 100. Then, in the substrate processing process, by forming additional processing pattern portions 5 on the additional processing copper foil portions 2, it is possible to create a substrate 1 with various circuits mounted according to the purpose. Therefore, it becomes possible to create multilayer circuit boards with fine wiring in a short amount of time while increasing the design flexibility.

[0025] Furthermore, since it is not necessary to supply solder to the via 4 on substrate 1 to ensure conductivity, constraints on circuit design due to solder thickness can be suppressed. In addition, the resist can reduce the possibility of solder bridging when electronic components are placed close together. Furthermore, by selecting a via 4 suitable for the purpose from among several types and using it for wiring, it is possible to easily form more complex circuits by combining the wiring formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 1, and the wiring formed on multiple circuit layers. Furthermore, when the additional processing pattern portion 5 is formed on the outer edge of the additional processing copper foil portion 2 (the boundary with the unprocessed copper foil portion 3), the extended processing pattern portion 9 is formed. This ensures reliable insulation even at the outer edge of the additional processing copper foil portion 2, thereby suppressing short circuits and other problems.

[0026] The substrate manufacturing method configured as described above includes an intermediate manufacturing step and a substrate processing step. In the intermediate manufacturing process, an intermediate substrate is produced using etching, which forms part of the circuit to be mounted on the substrate and surface electrode areas to be machined. In the substrate processing process, the designed circuit is formed by cutting the surface electrode region of the intermediate material with the substrate processing machine 100. As a result, when creating the substrate 1, fine wiring can be formed in the intermediate manufacturing process, including etching, and surface electrode areas (copper foil areas 2 for additional processing) can be formed for cutting by the substrate processing machine 100. Then, in the substrate processing process, by cutting the surface electrode areas (copper foil areas 2 for additional processing) with the substrate processing machine 100, substrates 1 with various circuits mounted according to the purpose can be created. Therefore, it becomes possible to create multilayer circuit boards with fine wiring in a short amount of time while increasing the design flexibility.

[0027] In the intermediate manufacturing process, surface electrode regions (copper foil sections 2 for additional processing) are formed on the front and back surfaces of the intermediate substrate, and multiple vias are formed in the surface electrode regions (copper foil sections 2 for additional processing) that penetrate the intermediate substrate. This allows the circuits on the front and back surfaces of substrate 1 to be electrically connected, making it possible to form more complex circuits.

[0028] In the substrate processing process, the circuit is formed by cutting the outer edges of the wiring of the designed circuit in the surface electrode area (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing). This allows for the formation of wiring patterns in the surface electrode region by insulating it from other parts through machining, thus enabling flexible circuit formation.

[0029] In the substrate processing process, if the outer edge of the surface electrode area (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing) is the area to be machined, the machining is performed by extending from that outer edge of the surface electrode area. This ensures reliable insulation when wiring is formed by cutting at the outer edge (boundary with the unprocessed copper foil portion 3) of the surface electrode region (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing), thereby suppressing short circuits and other problems.

[0030] In the intermediate manufacturing process, multiple substrates are arranged hierarchically, and an intermediate substrate is manufactured in which circuit layers are formed on at least two surfaces of the multiple substrates. This allows for the creation of more complex circuits using multiple circuit layers.

[0031] At least two of the multiple circuit layers are electrically connected by multiple vias that penetrate multiple substrates formed in the surface electrode region (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing). In the substrate processing process, cutting is performed in the surface electrode region (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing) to insulate the multiple vias, and a circuit is formed in the circuit layer that is not the surface electrode region (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing) in which the multiple vias are electrically connected. This makes it possible to properly conduct electricity by bypassing areas in the surface electrode region (copper foil portion 2 for additional processing) that cannot be made conductive with other circuit layers.

[0032] Multiple vias include multiple types of vias that electrically connect different circuit layers among multiple circuit layers. In the circuit board manufacturing process, the circuit is formed using one of several types of vias that is suitable for forming the designed circuit. This allows users to select and use the necessary vias from multiple types, enabling flexible circuit pattern configuration when forming circuits in the surface electrode area (copper foil section 2 for additional processing).

[0033] Furthermore, the present invention can be modified, improved, etc., as appropriate within the scope of achieving the effects of the present invention, and is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, in the above embodiment, the case in which one additional copper foil portion 2 for processing is formed on one surface of the substrate 1 was described as an example, but the invention is not limited to this. That is, it is also possible to form multiple additional copper foil portions 2 for processing on one surface of the substrate 1 (for example, the front or back surface), and to form fine wiring around these additional copper foil portions 2 by a substrate manufacturing process that includes etching. This allows for the formation of additional copper foil portions 2 of the required size on each surface of the substrate 1, while also allowing for fine wiring in other areas, thus enabling greater versatility in the configuration of the fabricated substrate 1.

[0034] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when manufacturing the substrate intermediate by a substrate manufacturing process including etching, through-holes for installing electronic components may be formed in areas other than the additional processing copper foil portion 2, and the terminals of the electronic components may be inserted into these through-holes and soldered. This makes it possible to create a circuit board 1 with a structure suitable for installing electronic components, for example, when the electronic components to be installed are known in advance.

[0035] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented by appropriately combining the above-described embodiments and their respective modifications. The processing in the above-described embodiment (for example, the processing of the data conversion process) can be performed by either hardware or software. In other words, it is sufficient that the circuit board processing machine 100 or the like is equipped with a function that can perform the above-mentioned processing, and the functional configuration and hardware configuration used to realize this function are not limited to the examples given above. When the above process is performed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on the computer from a network or storage medium.

[0036] The storage medium for storing programs consists of removable media distributed separately from the main unit, or storage media pre-installed in the main unit. Removable media consists of, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, or flash memory. Optical disks consist of, for example, CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Memory), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark), etc. Magneto-optical disks consist of, for example, MD (Mini-Disk). Flash memory consists of, for example, USB memory or SD card. Furthermore, storage media pre-installed in the main unit consists of, for example, ROM or hard disks on which programs are stored. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1 Substrate, 2 Copper foil section for additional processing, 3 Unprocessed copper foil section, 4 Via, 5 Additional processing pattern section, 6 Precision pattern section, 7 Separate layer connection section, 8 Cutting section, 9 Expanded processing pattern section, 10 Via connection section, B1-B3 Substrate, C1-C4 Circuit layer, 100 Substrate processing machine

Claims

1. An intermediate manufacturing process for producing a substrate intermediate in which a part of the circuit to be mounted on the substrate and a planar metal foil area to be cut are formed using etching, A substrate processing step in which the planar metal foil region of the intermediate is cut using a substrate processing machine to form the designed circuit, Includes, Without performing etching after the substrate processing step, the designed circuit is formed as a result of the substrate processing step. A method for manufacturing a substrate, characterized in that, in the intermediate manufacturing step, the planar metal foil region is formed as a region on which a circuit pattern is formed by cutting in the substrate processing step, and in the substrate processing step, the designed circuit is formed on the planar metal foil region, and together with a part of the circuit formed in the intermediate manufacturing step, a circuit for the purpose of mounting is formed.

2. The substrate manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the intermediate manufacturing step, the planar metal foil regions are formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate intermediate, and a plurality of vias penetrating the substrate intermediate are formed in the planar metal foil regions.

3. The substrate manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the circuit is formed in the substrate processing step by cutting the outer edge of the wiring of the designed circuit in the planar metal foil region.

4. The substrate manufacturing method according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the substrate processing step, if the outer edge of the planar metal foil region becomes the region to be cut, the cutting process is carried out by extending from the outer edge of the planar metal foil region.

5. The substrate manufacturing method according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the intermediate manufacturing step, a plurality of substrates are arranged hierarchically, and a substrate intermediate is manufactured in which circuit layers are formed on at least two surfaces of the plurality of substrates.

6. At least two of the plurality of circuit layers are electrically connected by a plurality of vias that penetrate the plurality of substrates formed in the planar metal foil region, The substrate manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the substrate processing step, cutting is performed to insulate the plurality of vias in the planar metal foil region, and a circuit is formed in the circuit layer that is not the planar metal foil region in which the plurality of vias are electrically connected.

7. In the intermediate manufacturing process, multiple types of vias are formed in the planar metal foil region, which electrically connect through different circuit layers among the multiple circuit layers. The substrate manufacturing method according to claim 5, characterized in that, in the substrate processing step, the circuit is formed using any of the vias among the multiple types of vias that are suitable for forming the designed circuit.

8. An intermediate substrate characterized in that etching is used to form a part of the circuit to be mounted on the substrate and a planar metal foil region that is to be cut, the planar metal foil region is formed as a region on which a circuit pattern is formed by cutting in the substrate processing process, a circuit designed to be cut can be formed on the planar metal foil region by cutting with a substrate processing machine, and without etching after the cutting process, the designed circuit formed as a result of the cutting process, together with the part of the circuit formed by the etching, forms a circuit that is intended for mounting.

9. A substrate manufacturing apparatus characterized by using etching to form a part of a circuit to be mounted on the substrate, and a planar metal foil region which is the target of cutting and on which a circuit pattern is formed by cutting, on an intermediate substrate, by cutting the planar metal foil region, thereby forming a circuit designed to be cut on the planar metal foil region, and without performing etching after the cutting, the designed circuit formed as a result of the cutting process together with the part of the circuit formed by the etching to form the circuit intended for mounting.

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